TRENTON — Sgt. Maj. Fredric L. Minus of the 6th Regiment United States Colored Troops thought that he was attending a low-key event to officially relinquish his post.

Instead, he walked into a ceremony with over 30 people celebrating his leadership and contributions to the group, which is an organization he founded to commemorate African Americans who fought in the 6th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, many of whom were from the Trenton area.

Minus, a retired Army veteran, became an expert on the history of African Americans in the Civil War. About 13 years ago, he founded the 6th Regiment, which goes to schools, libraries, and churches to educate people about black military men. His captivating reenactments and story telling have taught many people about black soldiers, whose numbers topped 200,000 during the Civil War, one of the bloodiest conflicts the country has seen. “He’s a walking encyclopedia about the Civil War,” 1st Sgt. Algernon Ward said.

Ward will be taking over Minus’ position as commander, though he said his shoes may be hard to fill. “He’s the kind of leader I want to be,” Ward said, emphasizing that Minus had the kindest of hearts, but was still a stern and motivating leader.

The event was held in the parade grounds of the Old Barracks Museum in the downtown. Nearly 10 people stood up to tell a personal story about Minus, his leadership, and how he has inspired and bettered their lives.

In addition to his work with the 6th Regiment, Minus also was a member of the Camp Olden Civil War Roundtable group in Hamilton, where he worked to establish a display of African American Civil War artifacts at the Civil War and Native American museum in Kuser Park. His resume also includes reenactments for the History Channel and authorship of a Civil War article that appeared on the front page of the New York Times.

“It’s not just a hobby,” Ward said, as he told the crowd about the importance of the work of historic re-enactments. “This is a mission to tell the story of the contributions of African Americans to the history of the United States,” he said.

Minus will be missed by all as he leaves Trenton and the Garden State to return to his childhood home of Delaware, where he will spend his retirement.